Information providing apparatus, information providing method, and storage medium storing information providing program

Abstract

An information providing apparatus notifies an operator of an own vehicle of an applied traffic regulation to be applied to the own vehicle. The information providing apparatus acquires an image-recognized traffic regulation by an image recognition of recognizing a captured image of a view ahead of the own vehicle. The image-recognized traffic regulation is displayed in a road sign captured in the captured image and is to be applied to vehicles travelling in a traffic lane where the own vehicle is travelling. The information providing apparatus acquires positional information on a current position of the own vehicle, acquires the applied traffic regulation based on the positional information, the image-recognized traffic regulation, and vehicle information on an attribute of the own vehicle, and notifies the operator of the own vehicle of the acquired applied traffic regulation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An information providing apparatus comprising an electronic control unit configured to notify an operator of an own vehicle of an applied traffic regulation which is a traffic regulation to be applied to the own vehicle,
 wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
 acquire an image-recognized traffic regulation by an image recognition of recognizing a captured image of a view ahead of the own vehicle,
 the image-recognized traffic regulation being the traffic regulation which is displayed in a road sign captured in the captured image and is to be applied to vehicles travelling in a traffic lane where the own vehicle is travelling; 
 
 acquire positional information on a current position of the own vehicle; 
 acquire the applied traffic regulation based on (i) the positional information, (ii) the image-recognized traffic regulation, and (iii) vehicle information on an attribute of the own vehicle; and 
 notify the operator of the own vehicle of the acquired applied traffic regulation. 
   
     
     
         2 . The information providing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured not to notify the operator of the applied traffic regulation when the road sign acquired from the captured image by the image recognition does not target the own vehicle even when the electronic control unit acquires the applied traffic regulation based on the image-recognized traffic regulation acquired from the road sign. 
     
     
         3 . The information providing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the electronic control unit includes at least one converting device which converts the image-recognized traffic regulation to the applied traffic regulation based on (i) the vehicle information and (ii) the positional information, and   wherein the electronic control unit is configured to acquire the applied traffic regulation by converting the image-recognized traffic regulation by the at least one converting device based on (i) the vehicle information and (ii) the positional information.   
     
     
         4 . The information providing apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the electronic control unit is configured to change the converting device from a first converting device to a second converting device when the own vehicle moves from a first area into a second area different from the first area,   wherein the first converting device is the converting device which converts the image-recognized traffic regulation to the applied traffic regulation for the first area, and   wherein the second converting device is the converting device which converts the image-recognized traffic regulation to the applied traffic regulation for the second area.   
     
     
         5 . The information providing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the vehicle information includes, as the vehicle information, (i) vehicle application information on an application of the own vehicle and (ii) vehicle specification information on a specification of the own vehicle,   wherein the electronic control unit includes converting devices which are prepared for every combination of (i) an application of a vehicle and (ii) a specification of a vehicle and convert the traffic regulation displayed in the road sign to the traffic regulation to be applied to a target vehicle based on a current position of the target vehicle, and   wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
 select, from the converting devices, the converting device dedicated to a combination of (i) the application of the own vehicle and (ii) the specification of the own vehicle based on (i) the vehicle application information and (ii) the vehicle specification information; and 
 acquire the applied traffic regulation by converting the image-recognized traffic regulation by the selected converting device based on the current position of the own vehicle. 
   
     
     
         6 . The information providing apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the electronic control unit is configured to change the converting device from a first converting device to a second converting device when the own vehicle moves from a first area into a second area different from the first area,   wherein the first converting device is the converting device which converts the image-recognized traffic regulation to the applied traffic regulation for the first area, and   wherein the second converting device is the converting device which converts the image-recognized traffic regulation to the applied traffic regulation for the second area.   
     
     
         7 . The information providing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the vehicle information includes, as the vehicle information, (i) vehicle application information on an application of the own vehicle and (ii) vehicle specification information on a specification of the own vehicle,   wherein the electronic control unit includes converting devices which are prepared for every combination of (i) an application of a vehicle, (ii) a specification of a vehicle, and (iii) a current position of a vehicle and convert the traffic regulation displayed in the road sign to the traffic regulation to be applied to a target vehicle based on a current positions of the target vehicle, and   wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
 select, from the converting devices, the converting device dedicated to a combination of (i) the application of the own vehicle, (ii) the specification of the own vehicle, and (iii) the current position of the own vehicle based on (i) the vehicle application information, (ii) the vehicle specification information, and (iii) the positional information; and 
 acquire the applied traffic regulation by converting the image-recognized traffic regulation by the selected converting device based on the current position of the own vehicle. 
   
     
     
         8 . The information providing apparatus according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the electronic control unit is configured to change the converting device from a first converting device to a second converting device when the own vehicle moves from a first area into a second area different from the first area,   wherein the first converting device is the converting device which converts the image-recognized traffic regulation to the applied traffic regulation for the first area, and   wherein the second converting device is the converting device which converts the image-recognized traffic regulation to the applied traffic regulation for the second area.   
     
     
         9 . The information providing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the electronic control unit stores maps which are prepared for every attribute of a vehicle and are used to acquire, as the applied traffic regulation, the traffic regulation to be applied to a target vehicle based on (i) the traffic regulation displayed in the road sign and (ii) a current position of the target vehicle, and   wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
 select, from the stored maps, the map dedicated to the attribute of the own vehicle; and 
 acquire the applied traffic regulation by applying (i) the image-recognized traffic regulation and (ii) the positional information on the own vehicle to the selected map. 
   
     
     
         10 . The information providing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the electronic control unit stores maps which are prepared for every combination of (i) an attribute of a vehicle and (ii) a current position of a vehicle and are used to acquire, as the applied traffic regulation, the traffic regulation to be applied to a target vehicle based on (i) the traffic regulation displayed in the road sign and (ii) a current position of the target vehicle, and   wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
 select, from the stored maps, the map dedicated to a combination of (i) the attribute of the own vehicle and (ii) the current position of the own vehicle; and 
 acquire the applied traffic regulation by applying (i) the image-recognized traffic regulation and (ii) the current position of the own vehicle to the selected map. 
   
     
     
         11 . An information providing method for notifying an operator of an own vehicle of an applied traffic regulation which is a traffic regulation to be applied to the own vehicle,
 wherein the information providing method comprises steps of:
 acquiring an image-recognized traffic regulation by an image recognition of recognizing a captured image of a view ahead of the own vehicle,
 the image-recognized traffic regulation being the traffic regulation which is displayed in a road sign captured in the captured image and is to be applied to vehicles travelling in a traffic lane where the own vehicle is travelling; 
 
 acquiring positional information on a current position of the own vehicle; 
 acquiring the applied traffic regulation based on (i) the positional information, (ii) the image-recognized traffic regulation, and (iii) vehicle information on an attribute of the own vehicle; and 
 notifying the operator of the own vehicle of the acquired applied traffic regulation. 
   
     
     
         12 . A computer-readable storage medium storing a vehicle driving assistance program which notifies an operator of an own vehicle of an applied traffic regulation which is a traffic regulation to be applied to the own vehicle,
 wherein the information providing program is configured to:
 acquire an image-recognized traffic regulation by an image recognition of recognizing a captured image of a view ahead of the own vehicle,
 the image-recognized traffic regulation being the traffic regulation which is displayed in a road sign captured in the captured image and is to be applied to vehicles travelling in a traffic lane where the own vehicle is travelling; 
 
 acquire positional information on a current position of the own vehicle; 
 acquire the applied traffic regulation based on (i) the positional information, (ii) the image-recognized traffic regulation, and (iii) vehicle information on an attribute of the own vehicle; and 
 notify the operator of the own vehicle of the acquired applied traffic regulation.